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General Ozark
“Take your armies and invade the East. I will be watching.” - A written note from Ozark, directed to the Roman Empress General Ozark is Jasper's lead general, and has become an icon of fear, due to countless exploits and victories. Ozark's legend has become so muddled that no one actually knows the true tale. The only known truth of Ozark's existence is that they have forged a warpath through the Sherwood Isles, conquering many independent nations in Rubidia's name. In the climax of the second Sapphiria/Rubidia War, Ozark's identity was finally revealed to be that of a teenage girl. Biography A Murky Past Little is known about Ozark; next to nothing, actually. People have begun to speculate the black knight's origins, though such speculations are nothing more than flagrant exaggerations that couldn't be anymore further from the truth. Some tales are far more exaggerated than others. Rumors tell that Ozark was raised by a pack of wolves, and cannot speak because they know no human language. Others presume Ozark to be an immortal time traveler, present in every major conflict in history. Others still think Ozark to be a walking demon, walking the planet to purge mankind of their sin. Whatever is true, Ozark is a force of nature and a life taker of utmost degrees. Most currently, Ozark acts as Jasper's top general, and leader of the Crimsonhead Militia. Eyewitness accounts suggest that Ozark has received Jasper's blessing, much like the rest of the Crimsonhead soldiers have; such boons allow common humans to surpass their ordinary brethren. Ozark's particular enhancements tend to be exaggerated as well, as no one knows the specific details besides Jasper and Ozark themselves. Nevertheless, Ozark's specific skill set and exploits have managed to craft a fearful tale of a legendary general. Rumors swell about a black knight sent forth by Rubidia; independent nations crumble, forced to assimilate or die. Those who refused were met with a horrible fate before an insurmountable foe, and often became forgotten by history. This would inevitably become the fate of most island nations, save for a few that spared themselves total annihilation. Rubidia's rule was absolute and terrifying, and Ozark stood as a testament to that fact, and as presiding judge towards all deemed unworthy to live in the new world. Sapphirian Campaign The time had come for Jasper to finally set his sights on Sapphiria. Much of his time had been spent biding and planning, amassing his armies and waiting for the perfect time to strike. This was not it. The initial campaign would turn out to be nothing more than a ruse, a momentary plan to further intelligence with the blue country. Ozark took part in one of the battles, launching a pitched war with Northaria that lasted several weeks. It was during this time that Ozark confronted a new recruit to the Northern Army, and chopped off his arm without remorse. The Crimsonhead Militia managed to hold off the Northern Army quite well, much to a stalemate. It didn't last much longer, as in Jasper's original plans, he allowed himself to be captured. The Red forces had to retreat, and Ozark wasn't seen or heard of until late into the second war. Ozark would not surface again until late into the second war with Sapphiria, where Jasper's intentions were clear; this time, they would conquer their neighboring nation and bring the ruling structure to complete ruin. After several victories and setbacks, Jasper had called in Ozark to complete a favor; allowing the Romans one last chance at redemption. Jasper and Albus had a falling-out due to constant confrontations and Albus' insubordination, but the former was willing to give Magna Roma a final chance to stay in his good graces. Post-haste, Ozark traveled to Cartheginesis to deliver this request. The trip there was brief, as travel via airship was quite more swift. Rumors quickly spread of Ozark's arrival in Magna Roma; word already was that Albus and Jasper were in a tense alliance, but Ozark's presence suggested that war between the neighboring kingdoms was imminent. Such was not the case, though many believed otherwise. Ozark first visited the ruling monarch, Empress Ozymandia; many palace guards did nothing to stop Ozark's entry into the royal chambers, for fear of their own life. Ozymandia was easily swayed into believing her own life was at stake; having a large, hulking knight approaching her at a swift pace made her come to terms rather quickly. Ozymandia was surprised when Ozark did nothing to her, only leaving a handwritten note in her lap. It was a call to war; Rome was to invade Sapphiria again, and target another capital city within the eastern kingdom. Ozark would go on to relay the same message to Albus as well, though the Roman god was much more begrudging to accept it. Albus had been involved with an impromptu meeting with Arcania, Goddess of Magic. The child ancient pleaded with Albus to side with Sapphirian, as it was clear he had no love for Jasper. Ozark's sudden appearance, though leaving Albus with a sense of distaste, had put the child goddess in a defensive stance. Sensing that the child wished to fight, Ozark began to draw their sword and was ready to slay the small goddess, not caring that they were a deity or that they possessed the appearance of a child. Albus was quick to demand Ozark's reason for the visit, which deterred the General from attacking. Ozark's message gave Albus an opportunity; one that he was more willing to take. At this point, it was assumed that Ozark was going to oversee this battle, judging by their continued presence within the city. Sapphirian Campaign: Traitor in the Mists Such did not seem to be the case, as Ozark returned to Eisenclast only days later. This followed in the wake of a successful venture; another mercenary had been hired to apprehend Dufrane, due to her status and importance. Following a failed interrogation, Jasper had just stepped away when sky pirates began to assault Castle Mammon. Their leader, Carnifex was the mercenary in question, and it became obvious that he had made a deal with the prisoner. The sky pirates' ship hovered just beyond the castle walls, with the pirates raining down gunfire like a rainstorm. The castle was put on full alert as Carnifex stormed in from the top, cutting his way through the elite Crimsonhead guards stationed there. Meanwhile, the prisoner escaped her bindings and fought her way out of the dungeons. The two managed to meet up within the main hall of the castle, only to be stopped by Ozark. Under a hail of gunfire, Dufrane attempted to escape while Ozark and Carnifex battled. A thick mist covered the hall, a product of Carnifex's armor being able to produce fear-inducing gases. This seemed to have no effect on Ozark or the Crimsonhead soldiers, as all of their helmets were filtrated to prevent airborne toxins like with what Carnifex deployed. Carnifex used what appeared to be some sort of weaponized stone, which could transform into different weapons on command. This proved to be a problem in combat, as he could adapt to virtually any situation. Ozark attacked with the Wailing Blade, slashing away at Carnifex's defenses with a brutal, heavy attack pattern. It seemed that Carnifex refused to relent so easily and managed to offset Ozark's attacks enough to throw them off-balance. Turning the stone into a net, Carnifex took the opportunity to immobilize Ozark by wrapping the net around their legs. It did the job effectively enough, but it didn't do enough to stop Ozark. With the Wailing Blade in hand, Ozark decided to unleash the weapon's namesake feature; by twisting the handle of the sword, it began to emit a high-pitch noise that was deafening to listen to. Everyone in the immediate vicinity would fall victim to the noise, except for Carnifex and Ozark. Ozark had not been aware of this, and continued fighting even with the noise active. Ozark began to yank on the net that still covered them, pulling Carnifex in closer. Noting this, Carnifex was quick to break the net and start running to his ship. With the net no longer binding them, Ozark deactivated the Wailing Blade and gave chase. Carnifex made attempts to flee by escaping to his ship; his pirate crew dropped down ropes for him to climb. He started climbing immediately, much to the disappointment of a pursing Ozark. Tearing out a knife from one of their belt pouches, Ozark tossed it and cut the rope, sending Carnifex back down to fall on his ass. Before he could catch another rope and continue climbing, Ozark surpassed him. The armored general began to do something strange, someone that they had not done before. Summoning the air around them, the mist swirled and thinned out before a sudden burst rocketed Ozark into the air. They boarded the ship this way, using a localized and condensed burst of air as a short-range propulsion system. The sky pirates were in shock to see Ozark now aboard their ship. Ozark twisted the handle of their sword again, sending that same deafening noise. The pirates were instantly crippled, though still managed to bark orders to each other by screaming them. Swivel cannons were turned towards Ozark, launching ball and chain bolas to cripple the general. These were cannons meant for ship to ship combat, and the pirates were in such a bind that they were forced to use them on a person. Nevertheless, the cannons did their job and immobilized Ozark once again. Carnifex would take this time to try and shove a device against Ozark's armor; it was some kind of portable drill, able to dig through stone and metal alike, and it was something Carnifex attempted to use earlier in their battle. Carnifex showed surprise when the drill was turned onto him; though, it had no effect as his armor was too strong for the drill. Another volley of cannon fire saw Ozark ejected off the bow of the ship, crashing down into the stairs leading into the main hall of the castle. Crimsonhead soldiers, or what was left of the current force, immediately opened fire but it was already too late. With the prisoner in tow, Carnifex and his pirates made a quick exit. They had already heavily damaged the castle with cannon fire, leaving Ozark defeated but not discouraged. Today, they had found a worthy adversary. Before the ship departed, Ozark was already back on their feet; the mist and dust cleared as Ozark watched the ship leave. It was a cold, stoic stare that was a vow; Ozark would find them again, and kill them if necessary. Sapphirian Campaign: Endgame General Ozark would take the stage the the final battle with Sapphiria, underneath the shadow of Eisenclast. Spearheading the charge against the Sapphirian forces, Ozark first clashed against the enemy general, Linakura. The fight was brief and both sides seemed to be equal matched, with Linakura either dodging or shrugging off most hits that came her way. Their battle went on for several uninterrupted minutes, with Ozark managing to eventually catch Linakura in a moment of weakness. Ready to deliver a lethal blow, the Red General soon found themselves hooked by the neck, dragged away by one of the mercenaries brought by Sapphirian's recent arrival. The culprit was a man with a flying bike, who managed to drag Ozark quite a distance until Ozark freed themselves, allowing them to tug at the chain that had dragged them. A struggle ensued, with Ozark's strength managing to break the chain and send the biker flying off. Then, another came to challenge them; another of the mercenaries, in the form of a demon. Though, this only proved to be a distraction, as the biker returned just to ram their bike in a near-fatal collision, causing the motorcycle to burst in a bright green explosion. The demon mercenary added to this, producing a nuclear blast which cratered the earth where Ozark had stood. Much to the biker's horror, Ozark was still standing. Despite now having a missing arm and mangled armor, they continued to approach the biker. Said biker began shouting in panic, pulling out a sawed-off shotgun to fire explosive shells. Said explosions chained up and intensified, but only served to slow Ozark slightly as it began to approach the biker. Right when Ozark was upon them, they readied a strike... only to drop their sword and collapse to a knee. It was expected that was all Ozark had, and the general was finished after somehow surviving two miniature nuclear blasts. The two mercenaries were ready to decide whether to spare them or not, when out of nowhere, a drop pod impacted the ground. Carnifex had arrived, deciding he wanted a rematch with the Red General. Despite having mangled armor and barely any strength left, the two towering armored titans clashed in a climactic, final duel. Who won or lost had no bearing on the war anymore, merely to see who would live or die. Already having been severely weakened, Ozark tried their best but eventually Carnifex decided that it wouldn't have been a fair fight anyway. He then sought to unmask the Red General... revealing them to be a teenage girl. Ozark gave Carnifex a cold stare before she passed out. It is presumed that Carnifex took Ozark to safety, but she hasn't been seen since the war ended. Appearance Armored Ozark wears a black steel plate armor, reinforced several times through tempering and magic. The armor offers full protection in every area, head to toe with lightly armored joints as to not hinder movement. Extra plating seemed to be offered around the chest area, with a large pauldron on the left shoulder, with a long, flowing cape draped over the opposite shoulder. The cape is tattered at the end, suggesting frequent use. As their main weapon, Ozark uses the Wailing Blade; a large, ruby-edged two-handed sword. When not in use, the weapon is stowed in a large sheath attached to the back of the waist. The sheath has open slits down the sides, allowing the sword to be properly slotted, as the blade's end is a flat edge with extended tips. Lastly, Ozark's helmet resembles an old Medieval helmet with exposed holes in a circular pattern. The eye slots tend to glow red, likely an effect caused by the magical enhancements. Unarmored Underneath the armor of the Red General is nothing more than a teenage girl, somewhere in the 15-17 age range. Her hair is raven black, shoulder-cut, often obscuring a set of intimidating orange eyes. A single scar runs across her left eye, though there doesn't seem to be any damage to the eye. Most of her torso and left arm are covered in bandages, only partially hiding the fact that from the bicep down, her left arm is a prosthetic. The craftsmanship of the prosthetic seems shoddy at best, as it could likely break down under enough duress. The rest of her attire usually consists of black clothing, typically loose-fitting like tank tops and the like. Personality Ozark seems to be completely mute, or simply has no need to speak. Their personality is seen clearly through their actions, however; Ozark demonstrates an expert knowledge of the ins and outs of wartime strategy, allowing them to control the battlefield to an impressive degree. Ozark will show little mercy towards those they deem a threat, even if women or children attempt to challenge it. Ozark shows a fierce loyalty towards Jasper and the country of Rubidia, so much to the point that it is unfaltering. Small interactions here and there suggest that Ozark has no love for rudeness, and may be spurned to slay anyone who dares act in such manner. The same goes for those who test its patience; though Ozark shows a sincere degree of control, it has no qualms with leaving behind a few bodies if the situation demands it to be so. Abilities Ozark’s armor functions on motor-assisted actuators, powered through magitek and meant to decrease the overall load-bearing for the suit, allowing even a teenager like Ozark to operate the heavy armor without strain or trouble. Ozark seems to possess enhanced strength through godly boons, even furthering her ability to the point that she can move at a frightening pace while in her armor. These boons also seem to give Ozark a limited form of air control, allowing brief, but rapid movements as a means to re-position herself or alter her attack patterns. The armor itself is enchanted to resist most forms of damage, either physical or magical. Only under extreme duress can these enchants be overloaded, possibly causing critical damage for the armor or user. Ozark’s main form of attack comes in the form of the Wailing Blade; a rectangular sword with edges covered in red crystals. Ozark specializes in this weapon type specifically, able to wield a hundred pound sword with only one hand. Underneath the hilt, the sword has two dials that Ozark can switch on and off at will. The first one lends credence to the weapon’s namesake, allowing the magic crystals to produce sonic emissions of increasing output, from a number scaling of 1 to 7. The sound is capable of debilitating anyone without proper protection, inevitably leading to ear damage and disorientation. The second dial triggers a momentary surge through the interior of the sword, causing the crystals to ignite in a sustained fire. Relationships Jasper As Jasper's top general, the two beings share an interesting relationship. Ozark represents Jasper's most loyal subject, the one entity that has provided and delivered upon everything he has ever asked for. It is to that end that Jasper genuinely considered Ozark to be a friend, despite the former's lack of compassion in most situations. Presumedly, Jasper values Ozark so much to the point that he refuses to send the general out unless absolutely necessary. That, or he holds Ozark back as a trump card, ready and waiting to be unleashed upon his enemies. Ozark doesn't seem to mind this; they revel in battle and wish nothing more than to serve the will of the master. Category:Rubidian Empire Category:Characters Category:Native